Till that I came unto a ryall gate,

Wher I fawe ftondynge the goodly Portres, Whych exed me from whence I came alates To whom I gan in every thinge exprefle All myne adventure, chaunce, and bufineffe, And eke my name; I tolde her every dell: When she hard this fhe lyked me full well.

Her name, she fayd, was called COUNTENAUNCE;
Into the bafe courte fhe did me then lede,
Where was a fountayne depured of pleafaunce;
A noble fprynge, a riall conduyte hede,
Made of fyne golde enameled with reed;
And on the toppe four dragons blewe and ftoute
The dulcet water in four parts dyd spoute..

O whyche ther flowed foure ryvers ryght clere,
Sweter than Nylus * or Ganges was ther odoure;
Tygres or Eufrates unto them no pere:

I did than tafte th' aromatyke licoure Fragrant of fume, and fwete as any floure, And in my mouthe it had a marveylous fcent

Of divers fpyces, I knewe not what it ment.

And after thys further forth me brought

Dame Countenaunce into a goodlye Hall,
Of jafper ftones it was wonderly wrought: 32
The wyndowes clere depured all of crystall,
And in the roufe on hie over all

Of gold was made a ryght crafty vyne,
Inftede of grapes the rubies there did fhyne.

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45

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55

60

* Nyfus PC

The

The flore was paved with berall clarified,
With pillars made of ftones pretious,
Like a place of pleafure fo gayely glorined,
It might be called a palace glorious,

So much delectable and folacious:

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The hall was hanged hye and circuler
With clothe of arras in the richest manner.

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That treated well of a ful noble story

*

Of the doutye waye to the Tower Perillous; Howe a noble knyghte fhould winne the victory Of many a ferpent foule and odious.

W

is given from a fragment in the Editor's folio MS: which tho' extremely defective and mutilated, appeared to have so much merit that it excited a strong defire to attempt a completion of the story. The Reader will eafily difcover the Supplemental ftanzas by their

at the same time be inclined to pardon how difficult it must be to imitate the and artleß beauties of the original.

C.

inferiority, and when he confiders affecting fimplicity

CHILD was a title sometimes given to a knight. See Gloß.

N yonder hill a castle ftandes

With walles and towres bedight,
And yonder lives the Child of Elle
A young and comely knighte.

*The Story of the Poem.

The

The Child of Elle to his garden wente,
And ftood at his garden pale.
Whan, lo! he beheld fair Emmelines page
Come trippinge downe the dale.

The Childe of Elle he hyed him thence,

Y-wis he stoode not stille,

And foone he mette faire Emmelines page
Come climbing up the hille.

Nowe Chrifte thee fave, thou little foot -page,

Now Chrifte thee fave and fee!

Oh telle me how does thy ladye gaye,

And what may thy tydinges bee?

ΙΟ

IS

My lady fhee is all woe-begone,

And the teares they falle from her eyne; And aye shee laments the deadlye feude

The laft boone thou mayft have,

And biddes thee weare it for her fake,
Whan fhe is layde in grave.

! For ah! her gentle heart is broke,

And in grave foone muft fhee bee,

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Sith her father hath chofe her a new new love,
And forbidde her to thinke of thee.

Her fathir hath brought her a carlish knight,

Sir John of the north countràye,

And

And within three dayes fhee must him wedde,

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Or he vowes he will her flaye.

Nowe hye thee backe, thou little foot-page,

And greet thy ladye from mee,

And telle her that I her owne true love

Will dye, or fette her free.

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Now hye thee backe, thou little foot-page,

And let thy fair ladye know

This night will I bee at her bowre-windowe,

Betide me weale or woe.

The boye he tripped, the boye he ranne,

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He neither ftint ne stayd

Untill he came to faire Emmelines bowre,

Whan kneeling downe he fayd,

O ladye, Ive been with thy own true love,
And he greets thee well by mee;

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This night will he bee at thy bowre-windòwe,

And dye or fette thee free.

Nowe daye was gone, and night was come,

And all were fast asleepe,

All fave the ladye Emmeline,

Who fate in her bowre to weepe:

And foone fhee heard her true loves voice

Lowe whispering at the walle,

Awake, awake, my deare ladyè,

Tis I thy true love call.

Awake, awake, my ladye deare,

Come, mount this faire palfràye :

This ladder of ropes will lette thee downe,

Ile carrye thee hence awaye

VOL. III.

Nowe

$5

Nowe nay, nowe nay, thou gentle knight,

Now nay, this may not bee;

For aye fhould I tint my mayden fame,

If alone I fhould wend with thee.

O ladye, thou with a knighte so true

Mayft fafelye wend alone,

To my ladye mother I will thee bringe,
Where marriage fhall make us one.

¢ My father he is a baron bolde,
Of lynage proude and hye;

And what would he faye if his daughter
Awaye with a knight should fly?

Ah! well I wot, he never would reft,

Nor his meate fhould doe him no goode, Till he had flayne thee, Child of Elle,

And feene thy deare hearts bloode. ""

O ladye, wert thou in thy faddle fette,
And a little space him fro,

I would not care for thy cruel father,
Nor the worst that he could doe.

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O ladye wert thou in thy faddle fette,
And once without this walle,

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I would not care for thy cruel father,

Nor the worst that might befalle.

Faire Emmeline fighde, fair Emmeline wept,

And aye her heart was woe:

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At length he feizde her lilly - white hand,

And downe the ladder hee drewe:

And thrice he clafpde her to his brefte,

And kift her tenderlie:

The